FEAR is a very powerful emotion, which must be controlled to avoid potentially embarrassing situations.

I’ve previously undergone treatment for a fear of flying and now only blub quietly at take-off and landing. Trust me, the poor man I almost squeezed to death on a propeller plane in high winds years ago will testify this is a mighty improvement.

The annoying thing about fear is that it’s mostly irrational. We kind of know nothing bad will happen but the pesky “what if” thought is our perpetual enemy.

My radio colleague Steve McKenna recently told me about his pal and her cat. The lady in question heard a scratch at her back door at night-time. She went to answer it with her nine-year-old daughter only to find her cat had brought her a present– a very live present with four legs and a tail. So petrified of this little mouse was the lady she screamed hysterically before shoving her daughter, the cat and the wriggling mouse in its mouth outside and locking the door.

At this point her daughter stood in shock and joined in the screaming waking up the neighbourhood with mortified mum safe in her kitchen but not prepared to open the door.

I recall several similar incidences of animal phobias, like the time I chased my poor friend Denise through the gym corridor at school with my hands cupping an imaginary spider.

She yelled like a banshee and we were both reprimanded. In fairness, we weren’t to know the fifth years were sitting their higher English exam in the gym at the time.

My mum refused to eat spaghetti of any sort because of her fear of worms and snakes. While my university pal Kerry could not walk past a sparrow in the street as a chicken jumped into her pram when she was little.

Dining al fresco with gorgeous design gurus Colin and Justin in Toronto proved memorable too as poor Justin’s wasp phobia was pushed to the limit. I’m sure Kathleen Jenkins could not hit notes as piercingly high in her finest aria.

Once again our lovely listeners provided other classics.

The day after Alan Anderson got married in Tobago he took a walk with his new wife and friends to get Fanta and Pringles (spot the Scots abroad) from the shop. On the way back he spotted a small bull in a field. It lowered its head, Alan explained, as if to charge. He did the manly thing, dropped his bag and hid behind his wife. As the little bull contentedly munched some grass his pals vowed NEVER to let him forget that moment. I’m glad to help.

Possibly my favourite example of how fear can evoke a rash reaction came from Tracy Black who “punched the guy who gives you a fright at the end of the ghost train”. She added: “He told me not to worry as it happens a lot.”

According to the NHS, facing your fear is the only way to conquer it. I bet the poor guy from the ghost train’s still haunted by Tracy’s visit.